Woman feels lucky to escape pursuit crash

Friday

Dec 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - A woman felt fortunate to suffer only minor injuries when a man fleeing from police in a stolen truck crashed into her car about 1:30 p.m. Thursday near North Wilson Way and East Roosevelt Street.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - A woman felt fortunate to suffer only minor injuries when a man fleeing from police in a stolen truck crashed into her car about 1:30 p.m. Thursday near North Wilson Way and East Roosevelt Street.

Rosa Arceo, a 33-year-old Stockton resident, said she was going south on North Wilson Way to pick up lunch when a man identified by police as 20-year-old Jason McKay sped through a busy intersection and collided with her red Honda Accord, authorities said.

A witness told police that McKay was going east on East Roosevelt Street and traveling about 70 mph. The impact to Arceo's front right quarter panel sent her vehicle spinning across two lanes of oncoming traffic into a pole about 20 feet away.

"I saw the air bag explode in front of me, and I just started spinning," said Arceo, who complained of pain and swelling in her left knee. "The way he hit me, I thought, 'Oh, my God, that's it. The car's going to explode, and I'm going to die here.' "

"I saw him coming, and I knew somebody was going to get hit," said Larry Willis, 68, who witnessed the crash. "I thought, 'Oh, man, I hope nobody gets hurt.' "

After colliding with Arceo's car, McKay crashed his vehicle into an electrical box that controls the railroad crossing apparatus at North Wilson Way and East Roosevelt Street, authorities said. The crash slowed traffic and forced city workers to replace a railroad crossing arm at the intersection.

McKay was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, possession of stolen property and reckless evasion of a police officer. He was also arrested for a misdemeanor battery warrant. He was being held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail.